Hymn
by YaoiSongstress07
Summary: A tribute to Shining Zephyr! Resident Evil 4/Metal Gear Solid crossover. Liquid wreaks havoc on the world, tormenting his brother with devilish ecstasy. Snake is cruelly beaten, heart broken and soul crushed! Leon S. Kennedy is his only chance at love.
1. Dual

Welcome to the first chapter of 'Hymn'. This small project was inspired by several sources, one of them being the astounding **Shining Zephyr.** Her latest work, 'Aurora Endless', paved the foundation for this project. The human language fails to measure her striking, unparalleled heart. Other sources of inspiration are as follows: 'Requiem for a Tower'/'Requiem for a Dream Techno Remix', Assassin's Creed (PS3), and plans for an upcoming project: Psyche. Locate the details for that project within my profile.

While thinking of some scenes for Psyche, I decided to give the world a taste of my brainstorming. Since I wish to give nothing away, I decided to post _this _little ditty. It's an alternative story to Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Please sit back, relax and enjoy!

**Disclaimer: Aside from a copy of MGS4, I don't own anything related to Konami.**

**Warning: This project not only contains boy/boy love, but it contains a gay Snake. If you're allergic to the idea of gay couples, or even just a gay Snake, please steer clear.**

* * *

As light and shadow, they supported one another. They stood by one another, forming a union that couldn't be broken. They were torn from different cloths, born in different worlds, but they stood by one another. Without fail they supported one another, tying themselves closer as time passed. Even as the world threatened to cave in on them, they supported one another. Even though they didn't voice their appreciation, both were grateful for the other's presence. Their hearts were hardly able to contain gratitude, thankful to have the union of yin and yang.

In such dark times, a powerful union was required to surpass the storm. The union had been formed between two legends, one much older than the other. They weren't of the same world, but their hearts had fused together. The beginning of their union started amidst the buds of chaos, and as those buds blossomed, their hearts fell into a synchronized state. The older one failed to comprehend the younger one's heart, but he held it nonetheless. Due to an intolerable absence of love, he _needed _the younger one's presence. He _wanted _the younger male by his side. Without him, his life would fall into a never-ending vortex.

Without even realizing it, the two of them had given birth to a rather poignant union.

On the battlefield, having such a connection gave soldiers an advantage. Snake and Leon certainly needed the advantage, for they were up against the world's darkest threat. Liquid, Snake's brother, dabbled into forces mortals weren't meant to touch. By collaborating with Osmund Saddler, leader of the Los Illuminados, he infected a colossal amount of humans with a mind-controlling parasite. As a result of the infection, many individuals were either driven mad or infused with Liquid's consciousness. Widespread chaos quickly broke out as a result, pulling an esteemed agent of the President into action. Summoned by Snake's lifelong friend, Dr. Hal Emmerich, Leon allied himself with the old soldier. The birth of their connection occurred within mere moments, also branching off into intimate connections with Snake's makeshift family. Leon was known to fly solo for his own work, but he evidently had no problems with being a team player.

Just as people developed an instant shine for Hal, Hal developed an instant fondness for Leon. After the Kennedy learned of his partner's story, he integrated himself into their family. The young one not only offered to give Snake his support, but offered to project the otaku _and _his surrogate daughter. Sunny, shortly after this, overcame her initial shyness and gave the President's agent a hug. Hal drew the agent into a tearful embrace, expressing every last bit of appreciation. The softhearted otaku, a soldier in his own right, had been through his own forms of trauma-_while _fearing for the life of his dearest friend. The Kennedy's presence softened his daily fear, and even gave him a light at the end of the tunnel.

Snake, aside from 'Otacon', had never worked with a partner in the past. He quickly became comfortable with Leon, who was an invaluable soldier-not to mention companion. The legendary soldier was astounded by his quick attachment to the younger male, previously believing that he'd never work well with anyone-other than Hal. Leon quickly crushed all assumptions into ashes, working at his hardest to lend Snake a hand. The young one learned the ins and outs of FOXDIE, relieving Snake whenever the virus got out of hand. Favors were constantly bestowed onto Hal's dearest friend, without any desires presented. Ranging from massages to complete control of a mission, Leon did everything in his power to aid the other. Whenever Snake succumbed to the overpowering virus, Hal was dragged into a muddy pit of overwhelming despair. Leon always rushed to his partner's side, either administering Naomi's syringe or giving the other a massage-accompanied by soothing words of encouragement.

And so, because of Leon S. Kennedy, Hal decided to believe in miracles.

The young agent was a muscular man of striking features. Short, silken brown tresses sat upon his head, complimented by a set of vigilant brown eyes. His physique constantly earned the attention of surrounding soldiers, one of them being Snake. In addition to his phenomenal appearance, he possessed unparalleled courage. He was a priceless companion to Snake, diving into the most dangerous tasks without a second. An average soldier would have keeled over from fright, facing most of the tasks Leon took on. As a result of his unyielding courage, Leon frequently suffered wounds in several different places. During one mission, he almost had his leg torn off while attempting to reach a distant Snake.

Hal, as a result, spoke of immense amounts of stress. Leon might have been invaluable to his little family, but he sliced years off of Hal's lifespan-in addition to the damage Snake already caused. Despite the tremendous amount of worry, he was happy to have him.

_I don't know where Dave would be without you. Thank you, Leon._

* * *

With a violent _thud, _an old soldier struck the ground. A pool of blood emerged from his quivering lips, followed by an even thicker body of rose red aches. His lungs throbbed against fierce, heartless walls of pain, crushed under the impact of savage kicks. His entire body was a pulsating, burning mass as he struggled to rise, but was instantly knocked down. As blood streamed from his many wounds, tears streamed from his eyes. His tormentor, however, paid no heed to his own sibling's pain.

Another battle had broken out, swallowing an entire city whole. Victims of the Las Plagas parasite were falling apart, either giving birth to widespread bloodshed or running around in a frenzied, berserk state. Liquid made the decision to witness his latest triumph, pursued by the newly formed team of Snake and Leon. Unfortunately for the team, both of them had made a careless decision. They decided to separate from one another, wishing to attend to matters in different vicinities. Much to Liquid's pleasure, Snake ended up in the wrong vicinity. And if he had anything to say about it, Snake's life was about to meet an excruciating end.

The laughter of a euphoric demon escaped Liquid's lips. The laughter continued as he continued to batter his brother, giving no mercy and acknowledging no sign of humanity. Mercilessly he rained kicks onto his brother's body, his laughter gaining momentum with each of his sibling's moans. Once he caught sight of his brother's tears, the laughter temporarily halted for triumphant speech. His voice had earned rather demonic qualities, to say the least.

"What right do you have to _cry _beneath me, you dirt-ridden dog?! What right do you have to show off your humanity?! Absolutely _none! _You're a damned, corrupted piece of _shit, _my beloved brother, and beneath my feet you shall grovel for forgiveness! _Repent, _Snake! You've stained this planet long enough! Apologize for your _pitiful _existence by atoning! _You should have never been born!"_

The one beneath his feet said nothing, pleadingly looking into his tormentor's face. He had not a scrap of strength left, and no longer wished to fight. He looked into his brother's eyes helplessly, hopefully, sorrowfully, asking for even the _smallest _scrap of affection. He had spent his _entire _life waiting for the birth of a family, and his remaining sibling seemed to be his only hope. Unfortunately, Liquid had _no _desire to bond with his remaining family member. As far as he was concerned, family wasn't of importance. He spat upon the mortally wounded Snake, sneering with poisonous disgust.

"Ugh. Why don't you hurry up and _die, _you twisted beast? I wish you'd stop looking at me. I wish you'd stop _breathing! _You're nothing but a waste of flesh and blood! _Haven't I killed you yet?!"_

Apparently not. Still breathing, a convulsive, bloodied puppy gazed upon his last link to family. The puppy's tormentor snarled at him, clearly disgusted by the broken creature's existence. _"Stop looking at me, you empty carcass," _the black hearted sibling roared, initiating another round of kicks. Four kicks managed to snap the puppy's legs like _twigs. _As a result, a tearful cry of unfathomable pain broke out of Snake's throat. His brother was more than happy to hear it, acknowledging the cry with laughter.

"_There! _Maybe _now _you'll die!"

A second later, the click of a gun fell into Liquid's ears. The end of a gun soon found the back of Liquid's head. "You'll be the _first _to die," a dark, young voice growled, earning the attention of Snake's brother. Snake, on his own end, was immersed in far too much pain to hear _anything-_other than his own moans. Meanwhile, Liquid turned to face his assailant. It was none other than Leon, the muscular agent from President Wilson's service-and Hal Emmerich's angel.

"_You?! _What do you think you're doing?!"

Leon, keeping _both _of his guns focused on Liquid's forehead, gave an instant reply. "Protecting your brother."

Liquid took those words as a joke. Putting his hands about his hips, he looked upon the livid agent mirthfully. Leon wasn't in the mood for light-hearted playtime, but Liquid was all for it. "You're protecting my brother?!" the wicked beast cried out, eyes glowing with malicious rapture. In the process of bonding himself to Osmund, he had attained some devilish qualities for himself. He not only cast away his remaining shreds of humanity, but _enjoyed _his unholy attributes.

"He's a filth-ridden, damned time bomb! A stinking, bleeding ball of flesh!"

Once again, Leon wasted _no _time in delivering a response. His voice was sharp, crisp and immensely perilous.

"You're a fucking coward, you mewling son of a bitch."

Recognizing the speaker's voice, Snake lifted his head from bloodied soil. Eyes clouded by pain, and enshrouded in thin sheets of blood, he struggled to view a newborn confrontation. A young male had thrown himself into a duel with Liquid, who was no longer focused on torturing his own sibling. Snake would have preferred to keep Liquid's eyes on _him, _though, for he was _none _too comfortable with having _Leon _in danger. To add salt to injury, there was nothing he could do. Realizing this, he gave off a series of wrathful, forlorn grunts. Tears surged from his eyes as he watched a battle unfold, desperately hoping for his partner's victory. Leon, an expert in martial arts and gunmanship, utilized every skill he had against Liquid. Liquid, with his newly acquired grasp on devil's euphoria, utilized _his _arsenal of martial arts against Leon. Both appeared to be evenly matched, able to land brutal blows.

Terrified, weepy eyes observed Leon. They not only begged for his victory, but they begged for his _company_. Right out of the gate, Leon had supplied him with two vital elements of life: encouragement and affection. Without any previous ties to Snake's world, the Kennedy acted as the old soldier's shadow. In Snake's eyes, Leon was the _light. _He loved how authoritative Leon was whenever he took command of lost soldiers. He loved how Leon's eyes glistened in the midst of fire. He loved how Leon rushed out into a field of land mines, without heeding the danger. He loved how Leon's arms felt around him, and relished the soft impact of Leon's soothing voice. He loved-

Leon.

Moaning, he reached out to his brother's combatant-but found his fingers gripping the cold, hard soil. Now, more than _ever, _he hated their separation. Whimpers conveyed his longing for the younger male, but all were unheard. Lungs pulsated against endless, blazing pain, elevating the tears within his eyes. Blood rushed from open gashes, his shattered legs were limp on the ground, and-

He wanted Leon.

Leon. Leon defended him from Liquid on more than one occasion. He comforted him after his encounters with Meryl, who had accepted Akiba's proposal. He had taken him into his arms, as the world rang with gunfire. He had whispered serene messages into his quivering ears.

_Leon._

"Leon...L-L-Leon..."

Could something like Snake comprehend love? Could something so worn out, useless and bloodied hold onto something so precious? Could he possibly love someone so pure, beautiful and young? Could a broken, used and abused doll of the military love a valiant agent? Could he hold onto love, even as he teetered on the edge of death?

Agent and beast wrestled one another, determined to beat the other into a painful death. Several feet away, a tearful puppy made an attempt to rise to his feet-wanting to rush out to the agent. As soon as his legs caved in on him, he remembered how his legs had been shattered by his own brother. With a tearful thud, he resigned himself to the sidelines. Helplessly he watched as two combatants tore away at each other, rolling dangerously close to the edge of a cliff. A gasp rose from his heart once those two combatants rolled _off _the cliff, and vanished.

Silence emerged from its cocoon. It swept through the bloodstained battlefield, separating Snake from the rest of the world's battles. Helplessly two eyes darted about, searching for any sign of Leon's existence. Whimpers walked out of his broken heart, hoping to attain the attention of a certain companion. Winds howled as he dragged himself towards the cliff, eyes filled with tears. Grunts escaped as he did so, as a result of the horrid pain he tried to ignore.

"_Get up! I'm right here with you!"_

"_Don't let go of my hand! I've got you!"_

"_You can do it! On your feet, soldier, on your feet!"_

"_I'm not letting go! So don't give up on me! Stay with me, Snake!"_

Meryl had given up on him. She had discarded him, tossed him away him as if he had become a boring action figure. Liquid, his one and only brother, tormented him to no end. He had never come into contact with Solidus, and if he had, their meeting was not present in his mind's eye. His father never acknowledged him, and he had grown up without a mother. He didn't know where his name 'David' came from. Solid Snake (or _Old _Snake, as it was now) was nothing but a blood-ridden enigma.

In spite of all that, Leon was with him. Leon _stayed _with him. Leon...

Did Leon...?

Every breath was laborious, endlessly painful. Every breath rattled his ribs. Every move he took rattled his weary, listless body. In spite of all that, he crawled. He crawled as an athlete would crawl to the finish line, searching for the light at the end of his tunnel. Black rain clouds unleashed a downpour as he continued to crawl, drenching the battlefield's last remnant in hostile water. In spite of all that, he crawled. He crawled on, hoping to catch a familiar face. Maybe one of Leon's rare smiles.

Minutes were no different from epochs. Snake's eyes finally dove over the cliff, wrapped up in blankets of blazing agony. Moans continued to leave his lips as he realized something. He was alone, left without a friendly face. Left without Otacon. Left without Campbell, who had sent him after Liquid and Osmund in the first place. Left without Sunny, the adorable little maiden who desperately wanted to heal his heart. Left without-

"Leon. L-L-Leon...L-L-Leon..."

Only the wind answered him. Surely Leon would find him. The young agent would find him, sweep him into his arms, and assure him of his safety.

"_You're okay. I've got you."_

"_Don't worry about a thing. I'll take care of this."_

"_You're with me now. You're in good hands."_

"_Hey. Th' name's Leon. It's a pleasure to meet you, Dave."_

Save for Otacon, everyone had always addressed him as 'Snake'. _The _Solid Snake, to be precise. No one _ever _used his birth name. No one ever addressed him as a _human. _No one-

-could ever love a beast. Or could they?

Drenched in a rain, a sodden puppy sought a much loved face. Rain soaked every inch of his war torn body, from head to toe. His forlorn eyes sought a much loved face, heart pounding and falling deeper into the rain's sad silence. Five minutes passed before he lifted his head to the black heavens, heart and soul full of tears.

"_Leon! Leon! Leeeeon!"_

Wails followed, coming from the legendary, unstoppable...

...heartbroken and torn Old Snake.

* * *

1) This was composed to 'Requiem for a Tower', 'Faint-Remix' and strangely, 'Reflection' from the Mulan soundtrack. XD I don't know. Its lyrics just make me think of Snake. XD

2) Originally, I didn't plan on having both of Snake's legs broken. Blame my baby sister and Assassin's Creed. XD Expect Liquid to be just as violent in 'Psyche', for your yummy information. XD

3) Leon is from the esteemed Resident Evil series. He's also hailed as one of the hottest game characters of all time. And with good reason. XD He stars in Resident Evil 4, and is featured in his own RE film. Osmund is RE4's protagonist, as the Los Illuminados are Leon's deadly opponents throughout the hellish tale. The Los Illuminados are a collection of zombiefied individuals, gone mad from the parasite known as Las Plagas (also from RE4).

This is part one of two, unless the beloved lady Zephyr wishes for this to blossom into a full-grown flower. With so many possibilities and dreams for 2009, who knows? But expect the next chapter soon! As the leaders of the Assassin's Bureau would say, may peace be upon you. XD

**Dedicated to the legendary flower, Zephyr. As always, you inspire me to climb new mountains.**


	2. Torque

Welcome to the next chapter of 'Hymn'! I eagerly awaited the time to compose this, and now it is finally here. Composing the notes for this adventure has been a rather astounding experience, to say the least. A lot of magic was derived from several sources, one of them being 'Assassin's Creed'. Every thread of my imagination has been instilled into this little piece. Every fiber of my heart sends this out to a certain friend.

**Warning: This contains boy/boy love. If you're allergic to gay couples, or if you're just uncomfortable with the idea of Snake being gay, please steer clear of my work. That also applies to you if you're uncomfortable with Snake exhibiting emotion.**

* * *

As his eyes fluttered open, his body was introduced to boundless pain. His return to consciousness initiated an explosion of fire throughout his body, painting tears along the edges of his eyes. Pain kept his eyes in a thick, dense fog, preventing him from viewing things clearly. His body was completely useless, torn down and trapped in a perpetual state of exhaustion. His two legs were no longer the legs of a human, but two bodies of gelatin. Touching them wasn't a brilliant idea, as he quickly found out.

His eyes darted about, searching for any sign of familiar life. He was in an environment he couldn't understand, enshrouded in a hostile cloud of frost. Dark colors resounded through his surroundings, he heard the soft hum of nearby computer systems, and his heart informed him of his safety. Unfortunately, his mind wasn't on the same page. He was a frightened fawn, fearing for his life while hoping to escape a heartless predator. Where was he? How did he end up in such a horrid state? Was he near friends, or had he been taken into enemy territory?

A lightning bolt struck his heart, reconstructing memories. With their reconstruction came tears-a million tears. That was right. Liquid had drawn him away from friendly forces, determined to kill his last sibling at any cost. _That _explained the horrible state of his body-his broken legs. His _brother _had drawn him into devastating pain. Seconds passed before he realized something, though. The state of his body wasn't the greatest of his problems. Leon-

Leon.

Tears gushed into his eyes as he thought of that name. Leon. Leon had arrived just in time to save the remnants of his life. Leon had thrown himself against Liquid, without heeding the consequences of his reckless plunge. And through a thick sea of pain, Snake witnessed the fall of two combatants. Both the Kennedy and his brother had catapulted themselves off the nearby cliff, disappearing into the day's vicious, black rainstorm. Their mission to liberate more of Liquid's victims had been a tremendous failure, and Snake had been left all alone.

Alone.

It was all his fault. Leon was gone, and it was all because of him. If he hadn't drawn Leon into anything, the young agent would still be alive. Leon would be where he belonged, shielding President Wilson from harm. He never would have allied himself with a useless, pathetic old man. He never would have…

Stolen the heart of an old legend.

His shaky hands covered his wrinkled face, soon to be immersed in tear water. At first, tears made their descent in silence. Seconds passed before sobs broke out, conveying their owner's sorrow to the cold, inhospitable world. Raw, unbidden sorrow rose into the confined heavens, revealing every last bit of heartache to an uncaring world. He submerged himself in sadness, curled up into a ball no one would see. He was alone, convulsive from the pain that swallowed his existence whole. No one would hear him, no matter how much he cried. No one would even _care._

Five minutes later, he discovered the error in his assumptions. "You're awake," a sweet, gentle voice said, exuding happiness. The old soldier's heart lifted once he recognized the voice. It belonged to none other than Hal Emmerich, otaku and friend extraordinaire. Once again their synchronized connection was brought to light, for Hal looked just as weary as Snake. The softhearted anime geek appeared to be completely devoid of sleep or strength, painfully malnourished.

"I'm glad. It's about time you opened your eyes."

Suppressing his desire to break down, Snake sent his eyes on another excursion. He wasn't in a foreign place, but inside of the _Nomad. _The computers didn't belong to enemy soldiers, but to his dearest friend Hal. Hal, whom he affectionately referred to as 'Otacon', was right in front of him, comforting hands on his shoulders.

Hal.

"I thought you had turned into Sleeping Beauty or something," the gentle soul continued, making a weak attempt at laughter. "Sunny and I have been waiting for you to open your eyes."

Snake, looking very much like an inconsolable animal, gathered up the strength to speak. "Where is she?"

"She's with Leon," Hal explained with an ethereal, radiant smile. Even as the world was at its darkest, he could brighten a room in a flash. Seeing the wide-eyed look on his friend's face, he sent a finger to the soldier's lips. His voice conveyed his weariness, but it also gave the world his unending warmth. "Before you say anything, I rescued him. Found him on the side of the cliff, holding on for dear life. He was lucky I decided to hop into my helicopter today. You were too, as a matter of fact."

"What about Liquid?"

A playful scowl fell onto the otaku's face. "Oh. _Him," _Hal said, as if Snake had reconstructed a bygone curse. "Well, I'm afraid to say this, but…he couldn't be found. I'm not the only one that ran a search for him, either. Our friends, the Rat Patrol, also examined the surroundings for any sign of Liquid. Other squadrons also attempted to locate him, but to no avail. My guess is that he communicated with Osmund in some peculiar, enigmatic way, and found a way to sheathe himself from view. Don't ask me how that's possible, after falling off the side of a cliff."

The next question was presented with the tender, fragile sadness of a disconsolate child. "Will he be all right?"

Hal's eyes widened for a moment, but the sight of Snake's face erased confusion. Snake hadn't asked after Liquid. Why would he? "Will _you _be all right?" the otaku asked, after a minute of agonizing silence. His smile had dropped from his face completely, revealing his weariness and heartache. Anguish increased once his oldest friend delivered an answer, his tearful eyes filled with even _more _tears.

"I've _never _been all right. I lost Meryl, and my only brother's hell-bent on killing me. Back there, he almost succeeded. I wish he _had."_

Before he lowered his head, Snake captured an ephemeral look of Hal's face. The otaku was _never _comfortable when Snake degraded himself, and his latest visit to self-degradation was no different. Hal had the face of a tearful, saddened five year-old, a child that had just heard of his mother's death. "Never had a father, never had a mother," the old soldier continued, his voice becoming hoarse. "And I've dragged you through nine years of Hell. I'm not forgetting about Sunny, either. She's about to turn eight, and already she knows what Hell looks like. All thanks to _me. _Not too much of a track record, is it?"

Snake returned to the fetal position, keeping his eyes averted from Hal's face. The Emmerich opened his mouth to speak, but found all of his words endangered by sobs. Attempting to deliver a syllable would have been disastrous. "This is all my damned fault," the soldier said, perilously close to sobs. At once, Hal knew of the situation he spoke of.

"This is all my fault. I drew him into my shit with Liquid, and he's suffering. Liquid's not the one pulling him through anything. _I _am. I almost _killed _him! Liquid's been the innocent one all along! He hasn't done anything wrong! He's only told the truth! I really am a worthless pile of…"

Not another word escaped. Tears dominated the execution of words, descending in the form of heart-rending sobs. Hal drew him into his loving arms, head placed upon his friend's shoulder. Neither of them spoke, completely immersed in a world of rain water. "I finally have my grasp on the thing called 'love'," an old soldier sobbed, his gravelly voice plagued by sadness. Hearing his words, Hal stiffened from shock.

"Things are different now. I finally understand…what it means to love. I understand what it means…to need someone. I understand now. And just when I found someone to-"

"_Stenbuck! Epyon!"_

Two pairs of watery orbs found a small maiden. Their little flower was standing several feet away, face shining with untainted jubilance. At her side was a much older individual-a male, to be precise. His presence caused a certain soldier to blush rather furiously. "Leon's awake," the maiden announced, running into Hal's open arms. "I h-h-helped him! His w-w-wounds are okay n-n-now!"

Glowing with affection, the otaku gave each of Sunny's cheeks a kiss. "Good for you, sweetheart. We're lucky to have such an esteemed nurse on board."

Sunny returned the kisses, then looked to her beloved 'Epyon' worriedly. Still blushing, Snake had hidden his face from view. She acknowledged his shyness and giggled, unaccustomed to seeing her friend in such a state. "Hi Epyon," the maiden sang warmly, heart beaming with love. In return she earned a grunt-which was enough for her. It was actually more than enough, for it brought the brightest little smile to her face. Under normal circumstances, Snake would have returned the greeting. In the past couple of weeks, basic human greetings had become all too easy. Thanks to a certain agent, though, those basic greetings were just as easy as Latin.

Chuckling at the innocent, awkward scene, Hal turned his amiable eyes to Leon. "Hello there. It's nice to have you back with us. How are you feeling?"

Leon rarely smiled, except when a situation called for sarcasm. However, the lack of smiles didn't label him as a heartless monster. Hal and Sunny were both comfortable with him, loving him as if he had been born into their lives. The Kennedy was just a solid pillar of strength, and never failed to show it on a regular basis. In addition to his stern, unbreakable look of valor, his bandaged wounds added fire to his unbreakable spirit. They showed his ability to surpass any challenge, even as it threatened to break him down. "I'm fine, thanks," he replied, bringing an iridescent smile to Hal's face. Meanwhile, a little girl climbed into the lap of a rather shy soldier.

"How about _you? _Are _you _all right?"

The otaku gave Leon a soft, kind frown. "I've been better," he said, giving a glance to Snake. "If you're hungry, we've got leftover ramen and eggs. Or I'm sure Sunny would be more than happy to-"

Leon cut into Hal's offer, his sharp voice painting the picture of an intrepid knight. His brown eyes were normally filled with fire, but something about them had changed. Stronger flames had pierced his brown orbs, transforming them into portals of ancient bravery.

"Thanks but no thanks. I'm not hungry. I'm here to tell you that I've come to a decision."

Holding onto a grunting Snake, who wanted Leon to just leave the room, Sunny looked into Hal's face fearfully. Otaku and maiden exchanged a worried glance, then Hal posed a question. "What is it?"

Leon wasted _no_ time in responding. "I'm going after Liquid. I'm taking Snake's place."

Sunny's jaw dropped, releasing a tiny gasp. Hal became a portrait of apprehension, adopting his usual role of 'affectionate father'.

"You _can't! _Leon, it's much too dangerous!"

"I've got the support of your forces. I'll inform Campbell of my decision, and I'm certain he'll support me. Once he learns of Snake's condition, he won't have any other choice. Besides, I'm all that's left. I may only be one man, but there's nothing I can't accomplish."

'_No argument there," _Hal's smile said. "That's not your _only _reason for going 'solo', is it?" his mouth asked, delivering a tremendous degree of admiration. As Leon's days progressed with the trio, the otaku's fondness grew. At its current level, it was far beyond the stars.

"Truth be told, it _isn't. _I actually wish to fight on someone's behalf. I've taken someone's pain and made it my _own. _Holding that pain to my heart, I've decided to fight. I'm going to fight in his place, on his behalf and in his honor."

"I'm sure you will," Hal said with a warm grin, turning to a maiden and her old friend. Sunny, holding onto Snake's arm, gave her surrogate father a playfully mischievous smile. Meanwhile, Snake was still drowning. "Isn't there something you want to say, Snake?" the otaku asked cheekily, speaking to the blushing soldier as a mother would speak to a child. In response, Snake sent him a poisonous glare.

Hal's smile grew warmer, deeper. He continued to treat the old soldier as an infant, who aspired to learn the letters of the alphabet. "Come on, Snake. It's just three words," he said, holding up three fingers. "Three words! You can do it! I'll say them with you. I lo-"

The last two words were silenced by a fatal glare, and an equally angry grunt. Hal's face wrinkled with laughter, embracing much-needed sunlight. "I'll t-t-take good c-c-care of them," a little flower assured Leon, leaping from Snake's bed. She wrapped her arms around the Kennedy's legs, much too small to actually deliver a hug. The top of her head received an affectionate kiss, followed by the tender movements of a hand.

"I'm sure you will, peanut. Thanks."

"You already know where to locate Snake's equipment," an otaku said, jumping from 'friend' mode to 'mentor' mode. "Make sure you're well prepared before you set out. I know you're familiar with OctoCamo. Do you remember how to use the Solid Eye?"

Leon, giving off one of his rare smiles, delivered an answer. "Of course I do," he replied, still ruffling Sunny's hair. Hal shook his head with a smile of his own, face filled with affection and admiration.

"Of course you do. Fast learner. Anyway, I'll communicate with you not only through the Solid Eye, but through the Mark II as well. And now you've got an advantage over Snake. You not only have one person to help you out, but _two."_

He threw a triumphant, playful smile to Snake. Snake, with his cheeks darker than cherries, threw it back with a stone of anger. Hal interpreted his anger as adorable embarrassment. "Make sure you not only inform Campbell of your decision, but our allies as well. They need to know they've lost a part of their army. Work at your hardest, Leon. Now that you're without a teammate, you'll have to _double_ your output of strength-_and _courage."

"Understood," the Kennedy said with a salute. "I'll be making my way to Drebin. His connection to Raccoon City's police forces will prove invaluable to our cause, just as Osmund is proving to be invaluable to _Liquid's _cause. From the information I've gathered, Raccoon City's forces have managed to attain a suppressant for the Las Plagas parasite. They're infusing it into the firearms of soldiers. Not everyone can get a hold of them, as the suppressant is scarce. I'll pay him a visit first, then make my way to Spain. Word has it that Osmund's planning a party there."

The agent's heart seized Hal's encouraging, loving smile. Then, without another word, or without giving the others a chance to respond, he began to leave. He was soon stopped by a rather urgent voice-a voice he had come to cherish.

"_Wait!"_

Leon turned around. All eyes were directed to Snake, who had called out to him frantically. Looking very much like a painfully shy child, Snake wrestled his hands against each other. It took him a moment to speak, and as soon as he opened his mouth, Hal clasped his hands together. Unfortunately, the otaku didn't hear what he _expected _to hear.

"Be careful."

Leon rarely gave off immensely warm smiles, let alone _small _smiles. However, he gave Snake a smile that captured every bit of starlight _and _sunlight. With a nod, he dove into the dark yet hospitable depths of the _Nomad. _Snake observed his departure with a sugary sweet depiction of shyness, obviously boiling with more words for the Kennedy-but unable to say a single one. Hal exchanged a smile with Sunny, then peered into Snake's eyes. "We've _got _to work on your people skills," he said, shaking his head.

* * *

1) 'Tifa's Theme' accompanied Snake's awakening. When Sunny came into the room with Leon, I switched to the Justin Lassen remix of 'Faint'. That song actually made me think of Leon, so I decided to make it his anthem. XD 'Requiem for a Tower' followed that 'Faint' remix.

2) I originally meant to leave the part about Drebin out. Since he doesn't receive enough love, and he's one of MGS4's stellar characters, I decided to have Leon pay him a visit.

3) Raccoon City is featured in the Resident Evil series.

The placement of Leon into Snake's family, and the entire adventure in general, has stolen my heart. I'm contemplating the transformation of this adventure into a full-grown flower. If I decided to add more water to this bud (and I will if a certain flower of mine wishes for me to do so), then 'Hymn' will run alongside 'Psyche'. If, for _whatever _reason, I decide _not _to transform this into a fullblown adventure, you'll have to settle for this ending. I thoroughly enjoyed composing this, and can't wait to begin 'Psyche'. Leon will star in that SSB adventure, fighting for Old Snake's life alongside other competitors.

P.S: If this were transformed into a DVD movie, the 'Enter the Animus' theme would be KILLER for the Main Menu. It has to be one of the GREATEST songs EVER composed. XD I'll post a link to it on my profile! XD

...I'm way too much in love with 'Assassin's Creed'. XD

**To Zephyr: Enjoy. Thanks for everything.**


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